The surgery went very well. Honestly, I’m extremely happy.
Linda was diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma, a malignant tumour. It was advanced and aggressive, and without intervention she would not have survived more than a month. That was certain.
So we acted.
What we did was a right-sided mandibulectomy. We removed the entire right side of her lower jaw, while preserving the left side, which is crucial for her ability to eat and maintain quality of life. In some cases, the entire mandible must be removed, but in Linda’s case this approach allowed us to be both decisive and balanced.
Our goal was clear: to perform proper oncological surgery that, even if it cannot be 100% curative, gives her the best possible quality of life for as long as possible.
During the procedure, we removed all the lymph nodes close to the tumour and carried out a careful reconstruction. If you look closely, the corner of her lip has been brought slightly forward to prevent the tongue from falling out, a small detail that makes a big difference in daily comfort and function.
Linda is already up and walking. She has no feeding tubes, only a drain. The surgery was clean, controlled, and lasted under two hours. If everything continues like this and there are no complications, she should start eating a soft diet as early as tomorrow.
We were deliberately aggressive in the surgery because the tumour had also affected part of the maxilla and the zygomatic arch. All relevant samples have been sent for analysis: soft tissue, muscle, skin, bone, the entire mandible, and the regional lymph nodes. The presence or absence of metastases will determine her long-term prognosis.
But one thing is certain.
If we had done nothing, Linda would not be here today.
I did exactly what I would have done for my own dog.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible.
Viktor